patella

noun

pa·​tel·​la pə-ˈte-lə 

plural patellae pə-ˈte-(ˌ)lē  -ˌlī  or patellas

: a thick flat triangular movable bone that forms the anterior point of the knee and protects the front of the joint : kneecap

… the quadriceps are attached at the anterior and anterior lateral aspect of the patella and are extensors of the knee joint.

—John B. Rizzotto

… a few horses suffer from a slipping of the patella—the little bone on the front of the stifle that is similar to the human kneecap—locking the joint so that it cannot flex properly.

—Heather Smith Thomas

The human knee is specialized for walking upright too: to compensate for the thighbone's being at an angle, there's a lump, or groove, at the end of the femur that prevents the patella from sliding off the joint.

—Michael D. Lemonick and Andrea Dorfman

patellar

pə-ˈte-lər 

adjective

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Staley also refused to make any predictions regarding the return of cornerback J.C. Jackson, who also ruptured a patella tendon. —Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2023

RT Jack Conklin participating in the offseason program Conklin, who underwent surgery in December to repair his torn patella tendon, is participating in the Browns offseason program, which bodes well for the season. —cleveland, 24 Apr. 2022

Defensive lineman DJ Dale left the game in the first half with a patella tendon strain. —Ben Flanagan | [e-mail], al, 11 Nov. 2021

The string of injuries that hastened his NBA exit — most notably a ruptured patella tendon in the 2017-18 opener with Brooklyn — are no longer an issue. —Connor Letourneau, SFChronicle.com, 15 Jan. 2021

Smith suffered a patella tendon rupture in December and will be unlikely to play in the 2023 WNBA season. —Lila Bromberg, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2023

When your patella doesn't move properly, knee pain may develop as a result of misalignment during movement. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2022

Jackson, 26, ruptured the right patella tendon Oct. 23. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Oct. 2022

Tellez, who missed 17 games last September with a right patella strain, leads the Brewers in home runs with 27 and ranks second on the team with 75 runs batted in – numbers that aren't easily replaceable. —Todd Rosiak, Journal Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Latin, from diminutive of patina shallow dish

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

patella

noun

pa·​tel·​la pə-ˈtel-ə 

plural patellae -ˈtel-ē 

-ˌī

or patellas

: kneecap

Medical Definition

patella

noun

pa·​tel·​la pə-ˈtel-ə 

plural patellae -ˈtel-(ˌ)ē  -ˌī  or patellas

: a thick flat triangular movable bone that forms the anterior point of the knee, protects the front of the joint, increases the leverage of the quadriceps, and is usually regarded as a sesamoid bone since it is developed in the tendon of the quadriceps and in structure is similar to other sesamoid bones

called also kneecap, kneepan

patellar

-ər 

adjective